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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — what's left
  6. land — ground
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bound — certain
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — electric
  18. land — a country
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — to get on
  22. rest — a break
  23. current — happening now
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com